Just Pretend
Cupid’s Kiss Book 6
Kathryn Kelly
Copyright © 2018 by Kathryn Kelly
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
About the Author
Also by Kathryn Kelly
Just Because Excerpt
Prologue
Noah Worthington
When you’re in this business long enough, you learn that things are going to happen. I believe it was fate that Tara and Beau found each other in the most unlikely of places. Even though they’re both from Dallas, I’ll always believe they never would have gotten together if not for that trip to Mackinac Island.
Charlotte and Ryan were from completely different worlds. In some ways, they were a little like me and Savannah. But I’ll let you decide.
Chapter 1
“Tell Abby I can’t be there this weekend.” Charlotte Cooper adjusted the microphone on her headset and closed her eyes. “I know she was looking forward to us going to the movie, but Noah asked me to work over.”
“I’ll tell her.” Charlotte heard the stress in her mother’s voice. “We know you’re working as much as you can.”
“I’ll definitely be there next weekend. I’m hoping for a good recommendation from Noah. It could open doors to a full-time position somewhere. Maybe even here.”
“I know, Dear. Don’t worry. Just do what you need to do.”
The other line rang. “Gotta go. The phone’s ringing.” She clicked off and answered the other line. “Skye Travels.”
As Charlotte booked a flight for next week, she stared across at the conference room which was filling up with pilots. Noah was already there even though the meeting wasn’t scheduled for another thirty minutes. Noah was very hands on. Not in an overbearing way, but in an interested way. In the two weeks she’d worked here, she noticed that Noah was supportive of his employees’ ideas. He didn’t always implement them, but he listened and considered.
As the temporary flight scheduler, Charlotte sat in the lobby and overheard more conversations than anyone. As long as she sat there, did her job, and kept her headset over her head, she blended into the background. And people forgot she was there. She heard things.
Besides keeping the schedule on the computer and sending each pilot an email when he had a flight scheduled, she kept the schedule on a huge whiteboard behind her desk.
It was baffling how many pilots failed to keep up with their schedules. As a result, they came to her. And she’d learned most of their names. A few of them chatted and she knew a little about them as well.
Charlotte considered her memory to be one of her best assets. That and her friendliness whether in person or on the phone. It was frustrating that she hadn’t been hired in a permanent job, but the aviation community was small. And Charlotte was an outsider. She considered herself lucky to get on with the Temporary Flight Agency.
Noah came to the door of the conference room. “Charlotte. Go ahead and send the calls to the answering service. I want you in this meeting.”
“Yes sir.” Charlotte forced herself to smile as her pulse rate went through the roof.
Chapter 2
Ryan Armstrong grinned when the wheels of the airplane glided against the runway. After checking the annunciator panel, he pulled the thrust reversers slowing the airplane. He considered smooth landings his specialty. Not that anyone really noticed. They only noticed when something went wrong.
As he taxied toward the tarmac, he turned his phone off airplane mode and six text messages hit his screen. Four from his fiancé Sariah, one from his sister, and one from Noah.
He checked the one from his sister first. Don’t forget to call mom. Today’s her birthday. Like he could forget that. November 1st was easy to remember. He considered his mother’s birthday to be an early kickoff to the holiday season. Besides, he’d already called her.
The one from Noah was next. It was a group message. I’m calling a meeting for all the pilots today at five. If you’re back in town, come to the conference room.
A meeting at five on a Friday evening was not a good sign. Noah respected his pilots’s family time. Either someone had royally messed up or he needed something important.
He glanced through the messages from Sariah. She had a list of things she wanted him to do this weekend revolving around the black tie event tomorrow night. Pick up his tux. Pick up flowers for her. Hire a limo.
Such was the life of being engaged to one of Dallas’s socialites. Sariah was gorgeous to look at. And Ryan was the envy of the Dallas bachelors and even more married men than he cared to think about.
After securing the plane, he helped his one passenger, a business man he’d just flown back from Ohio off the plane, sent him off in a waiting car, and took off across the tarmac, his long stride eating up the pavement. He pulled off his pilot’s cap and ran a hand through his short hair. After spending most of the day waiting around in Cleveland for the man to finish his meeting, the warmth of the Dallas sun was more than welcome. Too bad winter was on its way. Fortunately, Dallas winters were short with only occasional bursts of cold snowy weather.
He drove the short distance to the Skye Travels office and dashed up the stairs two at the time. It was a mystery how Noah Worthington had managed to secure land so close to the airport. Only part of what made him an aviation legend.
He still had fifteen minutes before the meeting started, but he was one of the last ones to arrive.
He stood in the back, not bothering to make his way to a chair. He needed to stand for awhile. Since sitting was the new smoking, he stood up whenever he had the opportunity. A couple of the other guys did the same.
Minutes later, Noah began speaking. “We have a new plane. It’s a Gulfstream G650.”
There were a few mumbles of appreciation. “It’s our most luxurious plane yet. Unfortunately, only four of us are rated to fly it. Myself, Jameson, Colton, and Ryan. I’ll be sending some of the rest of you for training soon.” Noah paused and scanned the room, his gaze stopping on Ryan. “Although the paint’s barely dry on it, word is already spreading. We just got a request to take a honeymooning couple to Colorado.” He put his hands on his hips. “Tomorrow.”
Fly a brand new plane. Avoid the black tie event. Ryan’s hand shot up.
Noah laughed. “Ryan. How about you?”
“Sure.
I’ll go.”
“You won’t be back until Monday.” Noah pressed his palms against the table.
Ryan shrugged. “Got it.”
“Jameson?”
Jameson glanced up from his phone. “I can go.”
“Great. Where’s Lucy?”
“She’s still on that trip to California,” someone said.
“Charlotte, call the temp agency and line up a flight attendant for in the morning. I’ll email you the rest of the information. That’s it guys. Thanks for stopping by.”
Ryan walked with a light step from the conference room to the office he shared with three other guys and whistled while he opened his locker.
Chapter 3
Charlotte waited while the guys left the room. Working in an environment surrounded by a group of handsome men was definitely a perk of this job.
She caught a glimpse of the one pilot who had particularly caught her attention. She’d never spoken to him and far as she knew, he didn’t even know she existed. He seemed to stay to himself and didn’t hang out with the other pilots. His name was Ryan and it was a most fitting name because he looked a lot like Ryan Gosling – at least from a distance.
Charlotte went to her desk, put on her headset and went to work. First, she set up a temp flight attendant for tomorrow’s flight. Second, she made hotel reservations for the two pilots – Ryan and Jameson – at the same hotel the couple would be staying at. Finally, she made the flight arrangements.
With her work completed for the evening, she gathered up her things and headed toward the elevator. A few feet away from the elevator doors she stopped and watched as Ryan got onto the elevator.
Still in his uniform, he was carrying his duffle bag over his shoulder. As he turned, she saw that his head was down and he was typing on his phone.
He looked up just as the elevator doors slammed shut. And for the first time his gaze locked onto hers.
The blood pounded in her ears as her pulse quickened. Panicked, she dashed to the right and into the restroom. Just as she pushed against the door, she heard the elevator open.
He’d waited for her. After watching him from afar for two weeks, she was suddenly petrified of being locked inside an elevator with him. Even if it was only one floor down.
She hid in the ladies restroom until he had time to go downstairs and get into his car.
What’s wrong with me?
She was crushing on a guy she’d never even met.
I’m twenty years old. Not fifteen.
Besides, she had another week to work here before moving to her next assignment. Just because she’d managed to avoid him for two weeks, it wasn’t likely that she could avoid him another week, especially since both of them would be working in the morning. She’d probably be forced to interact with him then.
She had to give him paperwork for the flight. Since it was last minute, she couldn’t just leave it in his box.
As she came out of the restroom, she passed Noah in the hallway.
“Hey Charlotte. Is everything good for tomorrow’s flight?”
She smiled at her boss. It was clear why he was popular with his employees. He knew all their names, even hers as a temp worker. “All set.”
“I meant to ask you. Do you keep an overnight bag in your car?”
“An overnight bag? Me?”
“Just in case you’re needed to go out of town for something.”
Her eyes widened. “No. I didn’t know I was supposed to.”
He shrugged. “It’s not required. Our regular scheduler kept one and she never had to use it.”
“I can if I need to.”
“Nah. Don’t worry about it. I don’t think you’d ever use it.”
She smiled and said goodnight as they got off the elevator.
Now she had to make a stop before she went home. Where was the best place to get a duffel bag?
Chapter 4
Ryan punched the open button and the elevator doors slid open to reveal an empty lobby area. He peered right and left, but the area was empty. He scratched his chin.
Was he hallucinating now?
He’d just seen a most adorable girl standing there watching him. She was a slim brunette wearing a long sweater layered over a short skirt over tights with little ankle boots. But it was her expression that caught his attention. Even from here he could see that her eyes were wide and her mouth slightly parted. In the seconds he’d had to process this, she had stood still as a statue. As the door slid closed, their gazes had locked.
The doors were closed before his brain kicked into gear. He pressed the door open button. Nothing happened. He pressed it again, three times while holding his breath. Then ever so slowly, the door reopened.
But the girl was gone.
He allowed the elevator doors to slowly close again and he rode to the first floor, his mind racing. She could be a client, but usually clients didn’t come up here unless they were with Noah. There was only one woman who worked in the building and that was an older woman who answered the phone and did the scheduling.
Ryan hadn’t paid any attention to the front desk lately. He’d had no need to since his schedule was always in his box and in his email. It was mostly the new pilots who pestered the scheduler with questions. The ones, like Ryan, who’d been there for a year or more had the routine down.
He’d have to check the scheduling desk tomorrow since this was a last minute flight.
He got into his BMW sedan, turned on the motor, and stared at the building for a few minutes before leaving the parking lot. Most everyone had already left for the evening. Noah’s car was still in the parking lot, but that wasn’t usual. Noah worked sporadic hours, sometimes not even coming in for days. He lived in Alabama, so the commute was one that only a pilot would even consider.
Now that he’d become accustomed to the sense of relief at not having to go to the party tomorrow, he was running some options through his head about how he was going to break the news to Sariah. She’d get over it. He’d had to cancel on her before – she knew dating a pilot meant the possibility of last minute schedule changes.
He felt guilty this time – more so than usual – not at missing his date with Sariah, but at the enormous sense of relief at not having to go.
Taking a deep steading breath, he knew he had to tell her in person.
Chapter 5
Charlotte looked up from her desk at Noah, Ryan, and Jameson who sat together in the conference room directly across the hall. The conference room had a glass wall. Someone had told her that the modern designs had been implemented by Noah’s wife Savannah.
She checked the computer logs. The flight was scheduled for ninety minutes from now. The passengers were scheduled to be at the terminal one hour before take off. Of course, the plane would not leave before they got there. Charlotte would receive a message on her computer when they checked in. It was all very modern and very efficient. Skye Travels had an impeccable reputation and it was well deserved.
She didn’t know what Noah was looking for in a full-time scheduler, Charlotte felt honored just to have three weeks here. Being hired permanently was more than she could even dream about. He would want someone with more than one year’s experience. Someone who could anticipate the company’s needs without his assistance. She’d heard that the woman who just retired had that quality.
It was quiet this morning. Not a lot of activity in the building and the phone was quiet.
She put her chin on her hands and stared across at the men in the conference room. All three were handsome men. Noah was the oldest, then Jameson and Ryan were about the same age – somewhere around mid-twenties. Whatever it was about Ryan had sent her pulse into high gear the first time she’d looked up to see him walking past.
Noah checked his phone. Ran a hand through his hair. Then his gaze met hers.
Uh oh.
She quickly put one hand on her headset and the other on the computer mouse. And her eyes down.
A few minutes
later, she heard footsteps coming toward her. Busted. She’d blown any chance of a job here. Couldn’t have the female help ogling the pilots.
“Charlotte.”
She jumped even though she knew he had been headed her way. She looked up, swept the microphone on her headset up, and smiled.
“Have the passengers arrived yet?”
“No sir.” She held her breath.
“Good. We have a situation.”
Please don’t let it be me. I cannot lose this job.
“The temp flight attendant called in with the flu.”
“Oh.” She hoped her voice conveyed more concern than relief, but she doubted it. “I need to call the company.”
“It’s okay. I already called them.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” She glanced helplessly at her computer.
Noah shook his head. “The guy who runs it is a friend. He messaged me directly.”
“What do I need to do?”
“Would you step out from behind the counter for a moment?”
Charlotte took off the headset and laid it on the counter. Her heart was racing. What could Noah possibly want from her? She stood up and pushing the stool aside, walked around the counter to stand in front of Noah.
Just Pretend (Cupid's Kiss Book 6) Page 1
